Can These Bones Live?: Translation, Survival, and Cultural Memory

Can These Bones Live? views translation as a mode of literary invigoration-indeed, as a process at the core of all important cultural transactions-rather than a mere utilitarian means of converting the terms of one language into another. Brodzki considers a wide array of canonical and lesser-known fictional and autobiographical works by authors from North America, Europe, and Africa-including Philip Roth, Italo Calvino, Jorge Semprun, and Buchi Emecheta-that foreground translation as narrative theme, figurative device, and textual strategy. The book emphasizes translation's critical role in literary history by examining depictions of the translator figure in contemporary literature and by showing that reading slave narratives through the prism of intercultural translation expands and enriches our understanding of both slavery and genre. At its center, the book argues for translation's crucial role in processes of intergenerational transmission. By linking such processes particularly to mourning and memorialization in texts shaped by the experience of catastrophe, Brodzki demonstrates how translation ensures the afterlife of individual texts and cultural narratives across time and space.

Publisher:
Stanford University Press

Publication date:
May 15, 2007

Number of pages: 272

ISBN: 9780804755412

Hardback

Can These Bones Live? views translation as a mode of literary invigoration-indeed, as a process at the core of all important cultural transactions-rather than a mere utilitarian means of converting the terms of one language into another. Brodzki considers a wide array of canonical and lesser-known fictional and autobiographical works by authors from North America, Europe, and Africa-including Philip Roth, Italo Calvino, Jorge Semprun, and Buchi Emecheta-that foreground translation as narrative theme, figurative device, and textual strategy. The book emphasizes translation's critical role in literary history by examining depictions of the translator figure in contemporary literature and by showing that reading slave narratives through the prism of intercultural translation expands and enriches our understanding of both slavery and genre. At its center, the book argues for translation's crucial role in processes of intergenerational transmission. By linking such processes particularly to mourning and memorialization in texts shaped by the experience of catastrophe, Brodzki demonstrates how translation ensures the afterlife of individual texts and cultural narratives across time and space.

Get informed

Exclusive offers, news, updates.

Reviews from GoodReads.com

When will my order arrive?

Dispatch times may vary for each item even if they are ordered at the same time.

You will receive an email when your item has been dispatched with estimated delivery date, we
regret we can't guarantee or provide tracking for items.

Once your order has been dispatched from Magrudy's warehouse, we offer the following times for delivery in business
days (Mon-Fri):

United Kingdom: 2-5 business days

Ireland: 4-6 business days

Europe: 4-8 business days

UAE: 7-10 business days

All other countries: 7-10 business days

You can check your order status at anytime by visiting your Account
here
Order Status.

If your order is still processing, that means that we are searching the world for your items! If
your order shows as dispatched and hasn't arrived in the expected time, please check with your
local delivery office before contacting us with the details.